If you're a creative business or cultural enterprise, you are selling goods or services to customers, whether it's graphic design, fashion, architecture, music, or books.
But what are you selling, really?
Or to put it another way, what is it that the customer is really buying from you?
It's often the case that there is a difference between what you think you are selling and what the customer is actually buying. Customers are often buy into a lifestyle, a feelgood factor, or a 'story'.
The most aware businesses fully understand what the customer is buying from them.
For example, Tom Peters quotes the Harley Davidson executive who said: "What we sell is the ability for a 43 year old accountant to dress in black leather, ride through small towns and have people be afraid of him." A naive observer might think they sell motorbikes.
In the cultural sector, London's Victoria and Albert museum researched customers' views and recognised that one of the greatest attractions of the museum was its cafe. What visitors want is to see some of the exhibits (it's too overwhelmingly big to see everything) and to have some tea and cake with friends. Controversially and bravely, Director Elizabeth Esteve-Coll adopted the marketing slogan "An Ace Caff with quite a nice Museum attached." It's not what the Museum is supposed to be about - but it's exactly how many visitors see it.
Dialog Ltd, in Hong Kong, run a project called Hope Tees which designs and manufactures t-shirts to raise money for worthy causes. The customer is buying much more than a simple garment: they are investing in hope. Hope for the disadvantaged communities the project supports. The customer might never wear the t-shirt, but the feel-good factor they take away makes the investment excellent value for money.
In his book Buzzmarketing: Get People to Talk About Your Stuff, Mark Hughes tells the story of Miller Lite. Research found that the appeal of this low calorie beer to heavy drinkers was not its low calories at all (most were proud of their beer bellies), but the fact that it didn't "fill them up" as much as regular beer - so they could drink more and stay in the bar longer.
From my own experience of working in international book distribution and marketing, I know that many books are bought not [only] to be read, but as interior decoration or as a symbol of cultural sophistication. That's not me being philistine - it's [at least part of] how real customers think and behave.
The point is that in the creative industries, just as in other business sectors, we must learn to look at things from the point of view of customers, because it brings new insights which might be subtly (or radically) different from our perspective as the creator of our goods or services. We need to understand the customer benefits in the way the consumer sees them.
So what are you selling, really?
Wouldn't it be wonderful if we could see our businesses through the eyes of customers? Or, as Robert Burns wrote:
“Oh, that God the gift would give us
To see ourselves as others see us.”
To what extent are they buying into a lifestyle, a feelgood factor, or a story?
The answer, as so often in marketing, is to Ask the Customers! (Market research doesn't have to be expensive.) Go and talk to them, observe them and watch how they actually use your product or service.
You might be surprised...
Copyright © David Parrish. 2007. Some rights reserved.
This work is released under a Creative Commons licence, which allows you to copy, print and redistribute it so long as you credit the author, do not change the work, and do not use it for commercial purposes.
For further information see: www.davidparrishcopyright.info
 | International Business Adviser for Creative People; management consultant and trainer for creative businesses. View Full Bio |
February 10, 2008 - 3:13pm
With the internet growing daily by leaps and bounds, it is no wonder that everyone wants a professional graphic website designer on their side to create an awesome website with even greater graphic design so that they can compete with larger organizations. With all of the churches, cub scout packs, boy scout troops, school activities, day cares, home businesses, small businesses, and children's organizations out there today, the average graphic website designer should have no problem finding pro bono graphic website design work.
March 28, 2008 - 3:29pm
So, what does a graphic artist sell? In my case, I sell feelings of importance, lots of attention, and feelings of high class.
It works and people are happy. Nice article.
April 14, 2008 - 2:25am
You know, if you can get someone to think that they are great. They will think you are great because you realize and understand their greatness. The trick is to do this honestly. And it's not really even a trick. It is a way of life.
April 18, 2008 - 9:52am
Good points...far too often we get caught up in our own little world and lose touch with the people we are actually selling to. Some things people buy are very cerebral, but more often than not people are buying based on emotion.
May 6, 2008 - 7:30pm
Great post. It's very true. Design really can sell a life style rather than a product. I can see that in Apple a lot. Many people discuss the community and life style that come with a Mac rather than the product itself. Whether this is a good thing, I am not sure. Either way, it makes design a bit more direct.
June 21, 2008 - 2:37pm
Goed artikel, ik heb deze blog opgenomen op mij iGoogle!
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June 26, 2008 - 1:16am
Interesting read.
Reminds me a little of a book I've been reading lately called "The Fall of Advertising: The rise of PR" - I don't remember the authors name off the top of my head.
Anyway, it seems like value and perception of what we sell in the creative industry is become less concrete daily. Totally a good idea to understand what each client perceives they're buying.
July 19, 2008 - 2:36am
Thanks, nice writing..
July 22, 2008 - 3:05am
"what is it that the customer is really buying from you?"
I think they are "Happiness" and "satisfaction"
August 13, 2008 - 3:00am
It works and people are happy. Nice article.
August 14, 2008 - 2:16am
Thanks for all.
August 25, 2008 - 5:55pm
Very nice article that provides us with great insight !!!
August 26, 2008 - 1:40am
good points you brought up. thanks.
August 28, 2008 - 7:52pm
Spot-on article. The whole concept of selling something else other than the product leads itself to the talk of branding. People buy brands for the feelings associated with them – not because the product is actually better. People buy shirts that have the Nike swoosh to show to other people they are athletes, or at least they want people to think they’re athletes. If they didn’t want others to perceive them as such, they would just wear a regular T-shirt!
I wrote response blog to your post: http://printplace.wordpress.com/2008/08/29/how-branding-reflects-more-th...
September 2, 2008 - 6:31pm
good article, thanks...
September 11, 2008 - 2:34am
A pity, that my article is written in german. I wrote about almost exactly the same topic in my blog!
September 17, 2008 - 8:45am
thank you
September 17, 2008 - 8:46am
thank you very much
September 19, 2008 - 5:12am
thank you very much
September 27, 2008 - 3:44am
Very nice article that provides us with great insight !!!
October 6, 2008 - 1:25am
In the cultural sector, London's Victoria and Albert museum researches are not valid.
October 8, 2008 - 8:03am
good article, thanks...
October 8, 2008 - 8:05am
Very nice article that provides us with great insight !!!
October 8, 2008 - 8:06am
A pity, that my article is written in german. I wrote about almost exactly the same topic in my blog!
October 9, 2008 - 5:26am
Good point. This is how top marketers should evolve.!
October 15, 2008 - 4:11pm
Great article, I think the biggest problem companies have is they forgot about the customer and get to caught up with things that don't really matter.
October 18, 2008 - 6:03am
Thanks, nice writing...
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October 26, 2008 - 9:44am
Great post and so true. Quite often, a sale is a result of either solving a problem, or fulfilling an emotional need. Match on of the tow, and you are all set.
October 30, 2008 - 6:35am
A pity, that my article is written in german. I wrote about almost exactly the same topic in my blog!
November 3, 2008 - 8:30pm
Great article. That's a concept that I've thought a lot about in the past few months. However, your quote from the Harley Davidson exec put things in perspective for me.
November 12, 2008 - 6:47pm
Wonderful article, especially the comment about the Harley. Oh so true!!!!
November 13, 2008 - 3:13pm
I love your post, it brings up some very good interesting points, I hope that tons of people read it and learn from it, I certainly took away some good quality info while enjoying the material also, 2 in 1!
With Much Thanks,
Betsy Buchanan
November 13, 2008 - 10:53pm
Here's what a wise man has taught me...
"People buy on emotion"
November 15, 2008 - 1:15am
I love your post, it brings up some very good interesting points
November 16, 2008 - 10:04am
Nice. Thanks for your great efforts.
November 16, 2008 - 10:06am
Thank you very much
November 17, 2008 - 1:32am
I bought alot of useless staff, its all the matter of advertising!!
November 17, 2008 - 1:35am
"Wouldn't it be wonderful if we could see our businesses through the eyes of customers?"
Well, the sellers have been trying to use this slogan but rarely succeded!
November 21, 2008 - 4:32pm
It works and people are happy. Nice article.
November 21, 2008 - 6:11pm
The most aware businesses fully understand what the customer is buying from them.
November 21, 2008 - 8:33pm
it brings up some very good interesting points
November 27, 2008 - 8:02am
Ok everything we sell can be express in images or ideas. I have an onlineshop with cosmetics and perfume so I sell Wellness and wellbeing?
November 29, 2008 - 11:20am
The comments about Harley Davidson hold true for graphic designers, they also sell an image and a brand.
December 1, 2008 - 4:52pm
What a good example the one of Harley Davidson. I never thought about it that way.
December 3, 2008 - 5:02am
I think they are "Happiness" and "satisfaction"
December 3, 2008 - 6:38am
Interesting point of view. That is exactly what most people don't even think about.
December 4, 2008 - 9:26am
Great work.
December 4, 2008 - 9:33am
Well, the sellers have been trying to use this slogan but rarely succeded!
December 5, 2008 - 9:14pm
Great interview.
I forwarded this page to all my members. Thanks for your finest inputs. ce belgelendirme
December 7, 2008 - 6:11pm
The art of selling an image is a complicated one, but one that is being constantly tested to be sure.
Cheryl Beckham
December 8, 2008 - 10:41pm
"what is it that the customer is really buying from you?"
December 8, 2008 - 10:50pm
David points out, we really need to understand the emotion or situation that is the underlying product.
December 9, 2008 - 3:21am
The art of selling an image is a complicated one, but one that is being constantly tested to be sure.
December 10, 2008 - 8:03am
"Wouldn't it be wonderful if we could see our businesses through the eyes of customers?"
December 11, 2008 - 3:04pm
The most aware businesses fully understand what the customer is buying from them.
December 12, 2008 - 12:47pm
Very well written. Businesses need to concentrate who they are selling to as well as the product. If they can achieve this well and keep up with it by advertising in the right way via internet or billboards or so on, then they will have success. Its tough out there though.
December 15, 2008 - 1:16am
Our factory sell the wedding photo albums, leather photo albums, scrapbook photo albums and more Photo Albums ,etc.
December 15, 2008 - 4:59pm
Nice Post thanks...
December 17, 2008 - 10:51am
Thank . very good
December 17, 2008 - 12:16pm
very nice.. thanks.
December 18, 2008 - 6:10pm
Nice. Thanks for your great efforts
December 20, 2008 - 5:11am
very very good.
December 20, 2008 - 5:12am
My very best.
December 20, 2008 - 5:13am
My very best.
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